Storm Down Sting 6-3
By DAVE BORODY
GUELPH – A spirited comeback by the Sarnia Sting fell short as they dropped a 6-3 decision to the Guelph Storm, Friday night in front of 3,855 fans at the Sleeman Centre.
The loss was Sarnia’s second in as many games as they fell back to the .500 mark in the Ontario Hockey League at 5-5-0-1. Guelph won their seventh in a row to improve to 7-2-0-1.
The Sting dug themselves a big hole trailing 5-0 by the midway point of the game. But they cut the lead to 5-2 after 40 minutes and pulled to within two goals, 5-3 in the first minute of period three. Sarnia thought they had made it 5-4 10 minutes into period three, but the goal was disallowed due to a quick whistle.
“Another slow start,” said Sting head coach Jacques Beaulieu. “We dug a hole and tried to get out of it. We were a little rammy, but the kids tried hard. We got it to 5-3 and it should it have been 5-4. The referee blew the whistle. Not much you can do about it.’
The Storm outshot and outplayed Sarnia in the opening period and skated off with a 2-0 lead. Ryan Horvat scored at 2:50 and Brody Milne at 9:12. The Sting was outshot 13-5. Sarna also was forced to kill off all five minor penalties called in the period.
Guelph increased their lead to 5-0 with three goals in a span of eight minutes to start period two. Horvat notched his second at 2:19, Jason Dickinson scored on the power play at 6:03 and Hunter Garlent finished off a two-one break at 9:29.
The fifth goal chased Sting starting goalie J.P. Anderson in place of rookie Brodie Barrick. Anderson allowed five goals on 17 shots.
Sarnia got back into the game with a pair of power play goals to trim the lead to 5-2.
Craig Hottot notched his fourth of the year at 15:44 with the Sting enjoying a two-man advantage. Alex Galchenyuk assisted. Nikolay Goldobin extended his consecutive game points streak to six games when he fired home his third goal of the year at 16:07. Nick Latta and Daniel Nikandrov drew assists.
The Sting cut the lead to 5-3 46 seconds into period three with their third power play goal as Charlie Sarault knocked in a rebound for his fifth of the year. Anthony DeAngelo and Connor Murphy picked up the assists.
Sarnia appeared to trim the lead to 5-4 at 10:44 when Hottot backhanded home a low shot, but was called off by the referees on a quick whistle.
Things got a little crazy after that with two fights and two Sting players tossed from the game.
Three minutes later Hottot was ejected with a major penalty for head-checking on a hit in neutral ice. Play went on for several seconds before being blown dead. The call was then made by one of the linesmen. The Sting also lost DeAngelo with a game misconduct for comments made to the referee after he took a penalty.
Guelph iced the game just over a minute later when Andrey Pedan scored with a two-man advantage.
Guelph finished with a 30-27 edge in shots on goal. Sarnia had three power play goals and Guelph two. The power play goals were the first Sarnia has allowed in six games.
The Sting play their third game in as many days Saturday night when they host the Kitchener Rangers beginning at 7:05 p.m. at the RBC Centre. Children 12 and under wearing a Halloween costume will be admitted free.
It will be the second meeting of the season between the two clubs. Kitchener won the first game 3-2 in a shootout.
Tickets for the game and all home games for the Sting are on sale at the RBC Box Office, by calling 519-541-1717 or going online at Sarniasting.com
STING NOTES
– Beaulieu was named on Friday as an assistant coach for Team Canada when they take on Team Russia Nov. 12th at the RBC Centre in the Subway Super Series. Steve Spott of the Kitchener Rangers will be head coach. Tickets are on sale now at the the RBC Centre. The cost is $15 for Sting season ticket holders and $25 for everyone else.
The Subway Super Series features regional teams of CHL all-stars competing against the Russian National Junior team in a six-game event, two of those games being in Ontario, Sarnia and Guelph. The games serve as part of the identification process for Team Canada prior to the IIHF World Junior Championship.
There is a slight chance ex-Sting Nail Yakupov could be playing for Team Russia in this six-game event in Canada next month. Yakupov, the first overall pick in the June National Hockey League draft by the Edmonton Oilers, is currently playing for his hometown team in the Kontinental League in Russia.
– The Sting made one lineup change as defenceman Mike DiPaulo was inserted and rookie forward Alexandre Renaud taken out. Forward Davis Brown missed his second straight game with an upper body injury while defenceman Alex Basso served the second of a three-game suspension.
– Sarnia has won only one of six games over the past six years at the Sleeman Centre.
– The loss was the first in four road games for the Sting so far this year.
Dave Borody is a freelance writer who covers Sting games home and away and also does features for the Sting Website.
